In the Shadow of the Watchtower (Evarette, Closed)

[Vanator]

Vanator's breath caught in his lungs at Evarette's reply. He dropped the ax and stood to his feet. His eyes widened, mouth dropped agape. Kavala....Konti. The words bounded through his mind, his tongue twitched behind his teeth as he spoke them to himself. The Drykas moved from the woman's tent to the woman's side in a few hastened steps. He knelt at her side, Avas skittering out of the master's way to find refuge by her sibling.

He met Evarette's indigo gaze with a tentative, hopeful expression, the gilded flecks dancing in his brown irises. Vanator could only thinly veil the excitement in the brisk tone of his voice. His hand reached out to rest on her arm, grasping it gently in his zeal. "How long ago did you see her. How was she, was she alright, how did she look?"

He paused, suddenly aware of the perplexed look reflected in Evarette's fire lit face. He sighed, and quickly withdrew his hand from her forearm. Settling down on his haunches, resting his hands on his knees, Vanator offered the confused woman an apologetic smile before continuing.

"My father's third wife was a Konti. She bore him two Konti daughters, my half-sisters. They are the sisters I told you about... Akela and Kavala. Kavala left the clan over two years ago to study in Mura, the city of the Konti. If the woman you met is my sister, I have no idea why she would be in Riverfall."

The brother's gaze fell to the fire, a pall of disbelief still clinging to his visage. If it were true, than his most urgent concern could be addressed, the safety of his sister. Vanator almost hesitated to accept the possibility, after so long. But how many Konti were in Cyphrus, and how many of them had the Drykas name Kavala? He turned again to Evarette, the woman even more amazing to the Drykas male after her unexpected, precious revelation. But he had to know for sure, had to hear more. He caught her eyes again, searching their depths for truth.

"Can you tell me how long ago you met this woman, and if she seemed alright?"

[Evarette Karmine]

Evarette rounded bewildered, indigo depths on Vanator's intense expression, her own trapped somewhere between shock and concern. The words poured out of him in a rush, a mess of questions all jumbled together, and Eva was at a loss which to answer first. Before she could form a response, Vanator settled back, releasing his grip on her arm and taking a moment to compose himself and explain...

How could this be? ...Evarette was struck with the absurd impulse to laugh. Of all the Drykas men she could have stumbled across in Cyphrus...Kavala's brother? She blinked, auburn brows knitting together in concentration as she struggled to recall whether or not Kavala had ever mentioned a brother. No... Very little had been shared about her family, in fact. Evarette pulled her lower lip between her teeth and shook her head softly...What else was distinguishing about the woman as to drive away all doubt that this was, or possibly was not, his sister? ...Ah! There was the matter of her strider...

She lifted her eyes and caught Vanator's with a hopeful smile, and she provided the words slowly...almost carefully...as though wary of upsetting the possibility that she could provide what he most needed to hear... "The woman I met in Riverfall was indeed Konti, and rode a Strider stallion named...Windsong. She appeared well, in good spirits...In fact, she was in the process of building her very own business in Riverfall. A safe haven and healing facility for animals," Indigo eyes were traded between his own as she measured the impact of her words..."I left Riverfall a little less than a week ago. Kavala was well."

[Vanator]

Vanator comsumed Evarette's words, seized on the sincerity smoldering in her deep blue eyes as one whose thirsts and chokes from gulping too quickly. He stared at her, stunned, as if her revelation was the last missing piece to a wood block puzzle that didn't seem to fit. He shuffled off of his knees, rising to his feet again. Hesitant steps lead him in a pacing circuit around the fire.

He spoke in a hushed tone, his thoughts directed at himself and Evarette in an unpredictable pattern. "Her strider's name was Windsong, my sister I mean. How did she end up in Riverfall?" He was relieved to know she was safe, according to Evarette she was doing well. "You say she was building a business..." He paused mid-stride, looking to the young woman who patiently watched him process her unexpected news.

"She is not coming back. She is starting a new life." His voice dropped, laden with disappointment. He returned to Evarette's side, slipping back down to the ground, crossing his legs. He suddenly barked a short laugh. "A haven for animals....that's my Kavala. She loved horses, and she loved to take care of everyone. In that way she was a lot like her mother." The drykas woman could see Vanator's eyes glaze over as he waxed nostalgic. Another thought crossed his mind, one that chafed at his brotherly nature. His inquisitive eyes lifted to meet hers, grateful to see a lovely, honest concern in their deep pools.

"Evarette, when you were in Riverfall, did the Akalak try to....convince you to stay, to you know..."

[Evarette Karmine]

Evarette watched him rise and pace around the fire in agitation, his thoughts pouring out of him haphazardly, confirming what she'd hoped...Kavala was indeed his sister. She relaxed visibly, a sense of relief echoing his own, though far more subdued by comparison. She canted her head to one side as he hesitated, drawing the conclusion that his sister had decided to settle outside the sea of grass...

A hint of sadness flavored his tone, and Eva felt a surge of empathy towards him. It was difficult to absorb the impact when one so close sought a life apart from you...as Evarette well knew. She watched in silence and he returned to her side. His conclusion appeared to drag him back, and she watched as his eyes grew out of focus, the firelight dwindling in their depths. She reached out to place a hand on his arm, her eyes softening upon him..."She looked happy, Vanator."

It was then his gold-kissed umber depths sharpened on her...

"Evarette, when you were in Riverfall, did the Akalak try to....convince you to stay, to you know..."

It took a moment for Evarette to absorb his meaning, and she dropped her hand with a blush. She only just managed to smother her discomfiture with the flash of an anxious smile. "Ah, no...not exactly. They were kind, to be sure...and though it was implied that I would be very welcome to...no offer was ever made." Her hands clasped together, fingertips fidgeting with one another absently. She unleashed a short-lived peal of laughter, shaking her head softly..."They are handsome, to be sure...but not my type, honestly. My tastes adhere more to our customs, I'm afraid..."

[Vanator]

Vanator realized too late that, in his preoccupation with Kavala's situation, he had overstepped a boundary. The question, driven from a brother's fiery protectiveness, had thoughtlessly compromised his new friend's comfort. His heart sunk as Evarette withdrew her encouraging hand and lowered her gaze. The drykas man saw through her futile attempt to disguise her discomfort with a grin and a laugh, but he recognized an almost visible shell curl around her as she folded her hands together, the vibrant aura that seemed to surround her all day dimmed by the anxiety he had caused. The entire campsite seemed to darken a bit.

Vanator spoke in a hushed, pained voice. "Evaratte, I am sorry, that question was...well, I did not mean to get so personal."

He sighed. He had overreacted to the idea of his sister as a surrogate mother for some giant Akalak. Even with Akela and Kavala gone for so long, he could not shake the protectiveness he harbored. It was true that Akela never really needed his protection, surely did not welcome it. But there were times he stepped in to employ diplomacy when he feared his surly sister was in over her head. He even drew his ax on members of his own Pavilion in her defense. He always knew it was more for moral support than any real need for him to fight for her safety. Kavala, well, he felt she needed his protection. Again, Akela was more than sufficient to guard her person, but Kavala was softer, sweeter, and the protection of her feelings and her honor was a duty he lovingly took upon himself, whether his little sister wanted it or not.

He should be grateful, Evarette had said Kavala was happy. That was all that really ever mattered.

Vanator looked back at Evarette, her eyes still fixed on some point away from him. At least he knew one of his sisters was alive and well. Evarette still did not know about her brother. He studied her, dark locks fallen across her lowered face to hide all but the tip of her nose. Her slim fingers played upon one another nervously in her clasped hands. Even through her cloak he could see her torso expand and contract with even breaths. She seemed so frail suddenly, drawn into herself. He found that he felt a concern for her as well, a curious desire to protect her. The young woman's journey would certainly be fraught with danger, and he wondered how the small, poorly armed woman would ever survive. Sure, she was Drykas, and their people were strong and brave. Many of their people died in the open grassland too. Kavala apparently had managed to survive well enough, it seemed.

For a moment, he regretted his position, the ties that held him to the clan. For a moment, he wondered what it would be like to travel to the places Evarette would go, to go there with her. Had she knew his musings, she surely would have thought him presumptuous. But he knew such a journey was not possible, he could not do that to his father, to his Pavilion. He sighed again. There would be little they could do, however, to prevent him from making a short trip to Riverfall.

He was grateful, to Evarette and to whatever deity lead that mischievous Nighwalker to draw her to the Watchtower. He stretched out his hand, holding it wavering in the space between them for a moment. Then he let it rest on Evarette's arm. "Thank you, this is a gift I have sought for so long. In a way, you have given Kavala back to me. If I know she is alive and happy, I can be satisfied." He remain fixed on Evarette, ready to share a smile with her.

[Evarette Karmine]

His gratitude was received with a warm smile, and a small shake of her head. Dark hair was brushed off her cheeks with played fingertips, and turning her eyes up to him, Evarette lowered that same hand over his own almost reflexively. "Think nothing of it, Vanator. I am happy to deliver such unexpected reassurances. I understand what it is to wonder whether a close family member has found their path in life, or instead surrendered to the steel surprise of an unfriendly blade," her indigo pools lingered upon him briefly, before drawn to the wavering flames.

Evarette's thoughts crept back to her brother. He was the final link to her past...or so she believed. The hopes that her father still lived had been smothered beneath the reflections od Dorian's behavior when he'd returned last. Eva could think of no news that would be more distressing for him to carry forth, and so she had assumed the worst. But, then why would he leave? ...Despite her surge of protective concern for whatever fate her brother had plunged headlong into...Eva could not help but wonder whether or not she was still bound to the correct course of action. She missed Dorian, she loved him...but was it enough to justify her actions when she found him at last? ...Eva hoped as much.

As she stared into the flames, the dancing light silhouetted the pot of tea steeping there, and Eva indicated it with a nod..."We have forgotten our tea," she grinned, sapphire eyes sliding to meet him in a sideways glance.

[Vanator]

Vanator chuckled, Evarette's playful grin dispelling the weight of the moment. He looked into the fire--blackened pot "Indeed we have." Returning her glance, he reluctantly slipped his hand from under hers and removed it from its resting place on her arm. Then he stood to retrieve two wooden and a metal cup from his psosessions. Leaning over the pot, he dipped the metal cup into the steaming translucent liquid and poured a portion into the two remaining mugs. The stirred concoction released a spicy aroma, one that, for Vanator, always triggered memories of a home that no longer seemed to exist.

Kavala still lingered in his mind, a subtle excitement still surging. Once her returned to the Pavilion, he would decide what to do with what Evarette had told him.

He carefully handed a cup to Evarette, balancing his own cup as he sat again at her side. He was not cautious enough, and the hot tea slopped out of the cup over his hand. "Ahhh, bat dung!" He cursed angrily at the burning sensation on his skin. He seized the mug in his other hand and shook off the offending tea. He raised his reddening hand and began to blow on it, his face sternly set with displeasure.

Vanator glanced over at Evarette, still cooling his skin, and suddenly felt very silly. He burst into an embarrassed laugh. He must have appeared like a pouting child. The foul grimace melted away and a shy smile erupted. "I'm, uh, sorry about that." He laughed again, wiping the back of his hand on his trousers.

Ruhl slipped by his side, a faithtful hound tending to his wounded master. The hunter settled down with a contented sigh. Barely acknowledging Vanator's outburst or her sibling's stirrings, Avas remained solely content to llounge at the Drykas woman's feet. The Drykas man's eyes shifted from Evarette to the Luvanor and back. The dog had always been a good judge of people. Yes Avas, I like her too. We will both be sad when we have to part ways.

"So , uh...", he was anxious to change the subject, "Have you ever had any aspirations, one's you may pursue once you find your brother?" He deliberately chose to phrase his last words optimistically.

[Evarette Karmine]

Vanator's sudden exclamation caused Eva to stifle a burst of laughter. She bit her lip against the onslaught of mirth, not quite able to smother the smile that threatened to spring free. The outburst further served to lighten the mood, and Evarette welcomed it as she would a breath of fresh air. She cradled her own steaming cup of tea warily, still quaking with silent laughter, her indigo eyes filled with merriment as they watched him shake the stinging sensation from his fingers...

As the Drykas man began to regain his composure, Evarette drew her cup closer, pursing her lips and blowing softly over it's rim...Her eyes remained on Vanator as he prompted her with another query. She turned the question over carefully in her mind, lowering her eyes to study the small cup warming her hands...Once I find my brother...there were too many 'what ifs' and unknowns bound to the possibility of finding Dorian, and she was grateful to be presented with an opportunity to stretch past all that.

"I will miss my home, despite my misfortunes. If I return...well, my options will be limited, I suppose."

She was of course referring to her lack of a pavilion among the Topaz Clan. There was her uncle, of course...but to live in harmony alongside him was to submit to his wishes, which included his insistence that Evarette take a husband and join his pavilion. Eva tested a small sip of the tea, turning it's rich flavor over her tongue. It was still a bit too hot to drink readily, but the taste was distracting in itself...

"Maybe I will join Kavala in Riverfall, and hope to see you there one day," Eva smiled over the rim of her cup, a gleam of mischief lurking in the depths of her eyes, as though they were sharing some sort of secret. Indeed, the recent discovery that they were both acquainted with Kavala seemed to have wrought some form of kinship between them. The kismet in such a revelation was enough to forge a swift and steadfast familiarity between strangers.

[Vanator]

Elbows resting on his knees, Vanator held the warm cup of tea firmly in his grasp. The back of one hand still stung from the burning liquid, and he had hesitated to sip from the mug until its aromatic contents could cool a bit in the crisp evening air. The heat of the cup did serve to warm his hands as the temperature dropped.

Attentive to Evarette's voice, Vanator gazed at the waxing moon, a brilliant pale satellite that shed a faint silvery light over the grassland. Its eerie shimmer competed with the bluish glow of the Watchtower and the orange flicker of the small fire for control of the surrounding shadows.

Indeed, it seems pavilion life held predetermined destinies for both of them. Each of them would contend with familial responsibilities and restraints. Not that Vanator regretted his life, only that he had very little control over its direction, unless he chose to disappoint his family and anger his father.

The concept of an existence cut free of such honorific duty, a freedom to live life as he chose, had come to be sharper and almost plausible since the afternoon. Physical distance from the pavilions could be faulted for such daring contemplation, but surely Evarette was the most at blame for encouraging his imagination.

The suggestion that the two of them might meet someday in Riverfall only fed the consideration. He was surprised to note the slight increase in his heartbeat as he caught Evarette's playful glance. Vanator thoroughly enjoyed the idea, that of being reunited with his dearest sister and this unique and endearing woman in a far away (to him) place.

The Drykas man shared in feeling the separation of strangers fade as a curious connection formed with the young Drykas woman. It was difficult to define, and an outside observer could easily mistake it for the simple romantic dynamics between a man and a woman in its infancy. And yes, Vanator found Evarette to be naturally beautiful and thoroughly charming. Only a fool would not. But that was just a minor facet of the phenomenom. The unexpected person of Kavala had proved a strong and unexpected tie between them. And the parallels of their lives, prodigal siblings, the chafing under Drykas tradition, all laid out a common ground that both had not been able to share with someone, until this day. Vanator had simply never met someone he could relate to like Evarette.

Realizing his mental rambling had left him staring glaze-eyed into the fire, Vanator shook himself . He turned to look at Evaratte, Appreciating her warm features, the soft locks surrounding her youthful face, all framing those deep-hued eyes. He did find her very attractive, but the strongest emotions he found himself experiencing were respect and ease in her presence.

He averted his eyes for a moment, fearing maybe the lingering glance belied more of his musings than he wished to confess. Staring into the cooling cup of tea, Vanator let a roguish grin slip across his lips. "Now, that would be a fine day, wouldn't it? The three of us overlooking the vast Suvan Sea from the cliffs of Riverfall." He dared to imagine his snarky sister Akela standing with them. The Drykas man's eyes shifted back to Evarette's deep azure gaze. In fact, he could think of no finer day.

[Evarette Karmine]

Evarette flashed him a quick smile, nodding as she adjusted her grasp around the cup of tea. The idea was nice to entertain, but the reality of it cooled her excitement. Syliras was a long road ahead...and it was yet to be determined that Dorian would be there. In fact, it seemed a bit much to hope for...even if Syliras was the next logical step after Riverfall. Eva sucked in a deep breath, letting it go slowly as she attempted to do the same with her anxieties...


Dark, cerulean hues caught Vanator's gaze, and Evarette found herself grinning despite her worries. This Drykas man had a way with bolstering her optimistic nature, and again Evarette found herself grateful that she and Ivar had happened upon him. "Yes, it would be nice..." The thought of meeting him again sparked a warm sense of elation within her, one she fought to suppress before she could untangle it's significance. There was already so much she was leaving behind...A corner of her lower lip was tugged between her teeth as she dropped her eyes to the cup in her hands once more.

The muffled reverberation of a hoof striking the earth reached Evarette a heartbeat before Ivar did. He'd sneaked up quietly as her thoughts had been engaged elsewhere. The stallion's broad nose came at her from behind, thrust against her shoulder in what the stallion must have considered a gesture of affection. Evarette gasped, the tea sloshing over the lip of her cup and over her hands. Having cooled a bit, it was no longer scalding, but hot enough to startle her into dropping the small cup right into her lap. A harsh cry of dismay went up, to be quickly followed by a wicker from the offending horse. One look at the sly roll of his liquid eyes would cause her to swear he was laughing...

"Ooh, Ivar...you have no sense of timing!" Evarette clucked in annoyance, plucking the cup from where it had toppled off her lap, and holding her hands aloft in exasperation as the frigid air began to cool the liquid spilled there. Avas had scattered at the commotion, and now ventured closer to examine what all the fuss was about. Darting a look of annoyance in the direction of the Nightwalker, who had suddenly found something keenly interesting in the dark distance, Eva emitted a sigh of defeat and plucked at the damp fabric of her riding breeches..."Thanks..."

Dark azure eyes ventured up in Vanator's direction, her cheeks coloring in embarrassment. "Well, that makes two of us." Laughter crept out from between her lips, leaking into the enigmatic depths of her eyes as she tilted her chin in Ivar's direction. "What do you think Nightwalker hides go for in Syliras?" The warmth flavoring her tone betrayed her true intentions...she was only joking.